Maintenance | Aqua-Ponic™ Stormwater Biofiltration System

Maintenance frequency for the Aqua-Ponic™ will ultimately be determined by site-specific pollutant loading conditions. Inspections of the inlet(s), plants, top media layer and the upper portion of the proprietary media can be accomplished from the surface without special tools. AquaShield™ recommends periodic inspections following installation to determine a site-specific maintenance cycle to ensure functionality of the media and the vegetation.

We recommend that periodic system inspections be performed to determine the pollutant and trash loading characteristics. In general, quarterly inspections should be performed during the first year or operation. It is common for biofiltration technologies to undergo annual maintenance that can include media and plant replacement. It is important that a consistent maintenance program be established for the Aqua-Ponic™. AquaShield™ furnishes Inspection and Maintenance Manuals for each project installation to track and document system operations and maintenance needs.

An Aqua-Ponic™ maintenance event should first determine any obvious signs of degradation, displacement, sediment or trash accumulation, or oil in the upper layer of the unit. The top gravel layer should be completely replaced and can be removed by shoveling or vacuuming. The top three to six inches of the underlying  engineered filter media may be replaced at the same time. Care should be taken not to damage the plants or disturb rootballs during media replacement. Care should also be taken when replacing a plant to avoid disturbing remaining plants. Depending on site conditions, it may be necessary to remove all the media and all the plants and completely replace these components of the system. The inlet can be manually cleaned or vacuumed through the curb inlet(s).

All inspections and maintenance activities can be performed from the surface without the need for AquaShield™ personnel to be present. We recommend that all materials removed during the maintenance process be handled and disposed in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local guidelines. Depending on the influent pollutant characteristics of the facility drainage area, it may be appropriate to perform Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analyses on representative samples of the spent filter media to ensure that the handling and disposition of materials complies with any applicable environmental regulations and practices.